Summer Love Story
by Joyyce
Summary: The Cullen Cabin is the most wanted place for the Summer, but when they try to decide who to take with them, fate intervenes and things get messed up. Will the Summer still be great, or will things get screwed up while they deal with their pasts? AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One  


_I never knew what I would get into when I accepted what fate threw towards me. I never thought it could be so horrible, so sweet and so torturing all at once. And yet, when I look back to everything that happened, I can't say I regret it._

___--_

Every high school seems to have some people who are above the others, the elite of the school. At my school those people were Emmett, Edward and Alice Cullen. They were worshipped as if they were gods by most of the school population.

Personally, I didn't understand what that was all about, and neither did my best friends, Jasper Whitlock and Rosalie Hale. Sure, they were all gorgeous and there wasn't a bad thing to say about either of them, except for the fact that Edward was a bit of a womanizer, but that didn't make them gods.

Unlike the rest of the school, my friends and I didn't spend our time watching the Cullens whenever we could, hoping that one day we would belong in their little elite group. We didn't feel like we needed special attention from the Cullens in order to be happy. We were happy enough as we were, just the three of us.

As far as appearances were concerned, I'll admit that even I could see that we didn't seem to fit together. People often mistook Rosalie and Jasper as siblings, even though they're not even related. However, they did have the same blonde hair and blue eyes and they were both gorgeous, but that was as far as the similarities between them went. Their personalities were almost complete opposites. Jasper was the quiet type, someone with depth who never seemed to lose his temper.

Rosalie - Rose to her friends - was anything but those things. She had a short fuse, especially when people acted as if she was some dumb blonde, or when someone had the nerve to treat her like a piece of meat. She attracted a lot of attention everywhere she went because of her looks, but she usually didn't really notice it. Sometimes there would be a guy – usually drunk - who tried to get physical with her, which ended in a meeting with Rose's knee or fist most of the time. That, and the fact that Rose always knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it only made her more intimidating.

And then there was me…Bella Swan. I felt invisible most of the time, as no one but my friends paid attention to me. Even my teachers seemed to forget I existed sometimes, as they managed to overlook me more than once, even if my seat was in the front of the class. Until I met Jasper and Rosalie, a few years ago, I didn't really have any friends. Who would want to be friends with me anyway? I was just an insignificant girl who was in no way special. I looked plain, I dressed plain, even my personality seemed plain. Everything about me screamed plain.

I was used to spending lunch alone at a table in a forgotten corner, until Jasper and Rosalie started school in Forks. They joined me for lunch their first day, because there wasn't any room for the two of them anywhere. And we've been friends ever since, with our shared opinions about The Elite.

Lately, the Cullen obsession at our school was reaching new heights. Something happened that had never happened before and suddenly everyone at school was kissing the ground The Elite walked on.

Every year, the Cullen kids went to their summer cabin at a lake somewhere. Each of them were allowed to take someone with them, and they always chose their cousins. They were very private in that way, keeping together outside of school.

That was about to be turned around.

Their cousins were traveling through Europe. And with them out of the country, they were going to choose someone else. They were going to choose people from our school.

I rolled my eyes at the enthusiastic way Jessica Stanley told that news to Lauren in the bathroom, which was when the rumour started to spread through school. Within an hour, the whole school knew about the quest of the Cullens and suddenly everyone was nice to them, in a sick and twisted way.

It was crazy to see what people were willing to do, just to have a few weeks together with them. Honestly, I couldn't see what the appeal was. That was exactly what I was telling Rose when we were walking to Biology class, the one where I sat next to Edward Cullen.

"I know, Bells. Look at that," Rose said, pointing out to Lauren Mallory, who was leaning against her locker with Emmett in front of her. Their faces were very close, it looked like they were about to kiss. I looked away from them, meeting Rosalie's eyes. I saw something in there, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had showed up.

"I guess we know who's being chosen," Jasper said from behind us.

"Yeah, I guess. Well, I'm not sure if I would want to be chosen anyway. I mean, I don't know if I would be comfortable, you know? We're outsiders. We barely talk to them!" I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Except for your Biology lab," Rosalie said, smirking.

I sighed, willing to push the thoughts away that suddenly invaded my mind. I didn't want to have those thoughts, but I couldn't help them.

_Brilliant green eyes, staring intensely in my eyes, making me squirm in my seat. The feelings his stare evoked in me were bubbling up – threatening to spill out._

I blinked a few times, and sighed again.

"I know, but even then we barely exchange words. He ignores me, remember? And I ignore him," I said. _On the outside…_ I added in my mind, smirking inwardly at myself.

I, too, was smitten with the gorgeous Edward Cullen, as was every other girl at school. Even Rose had once admitted that he was handsome, though she preferred the bulky, loud Emmett. The difference between us and the other girls at school was that we didn't lose our dignity by crawling through the dust for them.

Maybe that was why he was ignoring me, because he thought I felt better than him. That was absolutely not what I felt like. To be honest, I felt inferior next to him.

Yeah, The Elite had everything: good looks, money, and the best grades. Everything was perfect for them, and I hated them for that. My life was far from perfect – though I shouldn't complain of course. I just couldn't help but feel envious; everything seemed to come naturally to them.

"Bella?" Jasper said, waving his hand in front of my face. I blinked, dazed, and focused my eyes on him.

"What?"

"You zoned out again," he smirked. I shrugged.

"Sorry."

I looked around me and noticed we were already there. We walked inside class and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Edward sitting at our lab table in the back. I took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down and act cool, before walking towards him.

We didn't say anything, as usual, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Though I wasn't willing to become like the others at our school, I wouldn't mind if Edward actually knew I existed. I knew he didn't, I was nothing to him. I wasn't popular; I didn't share any extracurricular activities with him, so why would he know me?

Still, it would be nice. But I never showed my true feelings, except to Rose. Even Jasper didn't know, and I wanted it to be that way. I knew he would probably laugh at me for being stupid enough to have a crush on the one and only guy that was _absolutely_ out of my league. But I didn´t care, this was safe. I could like him from a distance.

Mr. Banner entered the room, and the class slowly became quiet. He announced that we were going to do a lab, the last one of the year. I was happy that we were going to do a lab as it gave me the chance to exchange a few words with Edward. I also felt a pang, knowing that this was the last of this year, maybe even the last one for forever. I couldn't be sure that we would be lab partners during our Senior year.

"Bella, are you going to grab the equipment or should I do it?" I shivered at his soft voice, but managed to get a grip on myself before I let things go out of hand.

Punishing myself for letting myself go for a moment, I turned my head around and smiled a bit. It wasn't flirting, more…being friendly. Not overly so, of course. But it forced me to look at his face, and that always gave me the butterflies that would haunt me for days.

"I'll do it," I said, standing up. I had to get away from him for a moment, his presence was a bit intoxicating, though I tried to let it be normal.

But things would never be normal between Edward and me. He would always be the handsome, popular guy and I would always be the plain Bella Swan.

I knew I was loved, by my friends of course. I could never be loved by someone like Edward Cullen. That… just wasn't possible. I knew that. Still… I couldn't help but feel sad about it.

The lab went fine; we finished long before the rest. I was afraid to say anything, because I knew there was a change that something would slip, something I didn't want to say to him. He didn't say anything either, so we were silent the whole time.

A part of me was happy about that, of course. It prevented me to become like the others. But the other part wasn't, as I wanted to hear his voice.

I was happy when class was over, and I returned to Rosalie and Jasper, who sat together at the front. It was too bad that we were so far apart from each other, we couldn't talk during class. Luckily we had a free period after Biology, so we always caught up with each other in the library.

We were headed that way now, Jasper and Rosalie in conversation, while I was deep in thought.

I couldn't imagine what life would be like during summer. I wouldn't see Edward, which would make me sad, that's for sure. Rosalie and Jasper were both staying home, and I was very happy with that. It made me feel less alone. I knew we would hang out and have fun together, maybe even make a road trip or something, so it wouldn't be boring.

But I would miss Edward.

Yeah, life sucked that way.

We sat down in the library in a corner somewhere in the back, which was our regular table. I was lost in thoughts for another while.

"Bella? What are your plans for the summer?" Rosalie asked innocently, making me question her motives. I shrugged it off, knowing I wouldn't be able to figure it out anyway.

"You already know my plans, Rose. I have none, except for hanging out with you guys maybe. Just like the past three summers," I said, grinning.

"So, Caroline still doesn't want to go out and do something?" Jasper said.

"No, she is afraid of flying, gets car-sick if she travels by car or bus, and she gets seasick if she travels by boat. The only option is the train, but if I propose something like that, she always asks me where I want to go, and if I offer something, she always has comments on the location. Too warm, too cold, too wet, too crowded, think of something and she's said it," I sighed. "It's driving me crazy! I can't do _anything_ that pleases her."

"So Mrs. Christmas Carol is as evil as always," Rose said, smiling sadly. "I don't know what I prefer: a step-mom from hell or no mom at all."

"Aw Rose, don't be that way!" Jasper whined. "You know I don't mind the fact that my mom died! I was too young to remember her anyway."

"That wasn't what I meant, you ass. I meant _my_ mom. She is there, yeah, but she isn't really there, you know?"

Jasper and I looked at each other. "No," we both said at once, smirking at each other.

"My mom is here, living in the same house, but when I want to talk to her she is always busy. She doesn't seem to have time for me at all! It's like I don't even exist. My dad's gone all the time anyway, so I could be an orphan for all it matters."

"That's new," Jasper said with raised eyebrows.

"Well, my mom hasn't been home a lot lately either. I've been home alone for a while now," Rose replied, making me sigh.

"I don't know what I'd rather have either. If you look at it, I think you're the lucky one, Jazz," I said, running my hand through my hair.

"I don't know. I guess I am, not knowing what I miss. And hearing you complain about your mothers, or stepmom in your case Bella, I can't say I have something to complain about. It's been me and my dad for as long as I can remember. But I guess we can't change our situations, no matter how much we want to."

After that, our conversation turned to lighter topics, back to our holidays, and of course, to The Elite.

"What would you do if you were chosen, Bella?" Jasper asked me suddenly.

"I would back out. I don't belong with them, guys. I belong with you, not with them! I wouldn't feel comfortable," I added when Rosalie was about to reply.

"And you?" Rosalie said instead, turning to Jasper and ignoring me and my 'low self-esteem.

"I would accept it and try to make the most of it," Jasper replied. "They might be popular, but I'm sure I could like Edward and Emmett. We're guys, we bond easily. I wouldn't feel bad, or uncomfortable or something. But hey, I know they won't choose me. I'm too much like Bella in that way." He smirked at that, winking at me. I rolled my eyes, and Rosalie giggled.

"Yeah, I guess we're alike in that way, both being private and all," I said, smiling softly.

The bell rang after that, and Rosalie and I went to the gym for our PE class. When I was about to turn around the corner, I collided with someone. The hardness of it would suggest that I ran into a wall, but it was _warm._ It was hardly possible for a wall to be warm, so I looked up to see who I ran into.

My breath hitched and I felt my cheeks go red. My thoughts went to places it really shouldn't be allowed to go…

_God his chest is so muscular! How is it possible that one guy can be so hot… I want to see what it looks like without a shirt on, especially in the water! Then there would be droplets falling down to his chest, and then rolling down to –_

I cut my own train of thoughts off, knowing if I would continue I might start drooling, or worse; say something that would definitely embarrass me. So instead, I blinked a few times and mumbled my apology.

I was quick to leave after that, not wanting to face the wrath of Edward. I knew it annoyed him when someone touched him, so I didn't wait for him to release his anger on me.

--

PE was over pretty quickly, faster than I ever thought was possible, and soon I was on my way home. I knew Charlie would still be out, as always, and I hoped Mrs. C would be too. However, when I pulled into our street, I could see her car on our driveway, which meant she was home.

_Shit_.

When I was home alone with Caroline, she was about 10 times worse than usual. My dad wouldn't be home till 6, and it was now 3.30. We had 2 and a half fucking hours alone, enough for her to torture me to death. I really expected her to kill me someday; it wouldn't surprise me at all.

I parked my old Chevy truck, and took a deep breath before going in.

_Here we go again._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, of course.

**Chapter Two**

APOV

_One week earlier._

"What are we going to do, with our cousins in Europe?! I mean, seriously, they know we'd planned this trip, we do it every year! Why couldn't Nina wait before going there? And Melany was just as bad! Why didn't Mel tell me this before? What are we going to do now? Bryan is leaving to go to his sisters in two days, so he won't be joining us either! What are we going to do?!"

I was seriously panicking after that one phone call an hour ago. Emmett was lounging on the couch while Edward was sitting in his chair, his hands in his hair.

"Emmett! Why are you so relaxed?" I yelled at him, not understanding why he wasn't freaking out.

"Chill, Ali. We'll ask some people from school," Emmett replied, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, right Em! You know as well as I do that we don't hang out with them outside of school," Edward snapped at him.

"I guess it's time to change that." He smirked, making Edward roll his eyes.

"Okay, who would you ask then?" I shot back at him.

"Rosalie Hale," he replied instantly.

Edward and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows. As my twin, he almost always knew what I was thinking. And just like that, we shared thoughts.

"What?!" we said simultaneously, and smiling at each other.

"Well, she's hot and if I would have to choose _anyone_ from school, it'd be her. She's smart, and _fuck,_ have you looked at her? That's one nice piece of-"

"Emmett!" I said, covering my ears.

Edward just grinned.

"What? I'm thinking with my dick, yes, but so what? I'm a guy." He grinned. Edward rolled his eyes at that. "I'm a guy too, you ass, and I don't think with my dick!"

"Who would you choose then, Edward?" Instead of answering me immediately, he actually thought about his answer. But not long, obviously he already knew the answer before I asked him the million dollar question.

"Isabella Swan," he said, his voice calm but sincere. And I knew he truly meant it, he didn't say such a thing without reason. Which was, of course, the main reason why I was suddenly so excited.

"Really?!" I squealed.

Isabella Swan was a very sweet girl, though she only hangs out with Jasper Whitlock and Rosalie Hale. But they too, were very nice and always kind to me whenever we got the chance to exchange a few words.

"Yeah," Edward answered sheepishly. I beamed at him.

"Seriously?" Emmett said instead, sounding absolutely surprised.

"Duh, or I wouldn't have said it!" Edward replied, running his hand through his hair.

"Wow, I didn't imagine you'd go for the tortured, silent type man!"

"Shut up," Edward snapped, his eyes suddenly flaring.

I was surprised to see him that way. He wasn't intense about lots of things. His music, his family, and his past were the only things he actually could become angry about. Insulting him did nothing to him, nor commenting on his looks or the way he behaved himself. Calling him a man-whore triggered some old feelings, but it didn't really make him angry the way other things could.

This meant he really cared. It surprised me with its intensity. I hadn't expected it at all.

"Wow, Edward," was all I could say. He kind of left me speechless.

"And you, lil' sis?" Emmett grinned at me.

Although I knew my answer, I also knew I would never admit it. It would mean that we were all falling for the one group that didn't…want to belong to us, it seemed. So there was no way that I'd admit I liked Jasper a lot. Definitely not.

So instead of answering honestly, I shrugged. "I don't know. Who knows? I'd think about it for a little while more."

Edward narrowed his eyes, but I smiled softly to him. He didn't fall for it.

"Alice." It was all he said, but he couldn't say more with less words. I knew that if I wouldn't spill, he'd bug me about it until I would spill.

"Fine, I'd pick Jasper! Happy?!" I huffed. Edward smiled at me, and Emmett laughed.

"Great!"

"So," I said, changing the subject. "I want some rules for us choosing people from school. I think…we should all make one rule."

"Sure." Emmett grinned. "I want to have even numbers – so three boys and three girls. That has worked out very well in the past, and I want to keep it that way."

Edward and I nodded. "I'm gonna pick a girl!" Emmett claimed.

"Me too!" I immediately said. Edward and Emmett turned to me, shocked.

"What? I want a girl I can talk to, one to have fun with! So I want to pick someone who has those qualities," I answered them.

Edward scratched the back of his head. "So, I guess that leaves me with the guy, right?"

"Dude! You're screwed!" Emmett laughed, shaking his head.

"I have one rule too; I want to make my choice on my own, so I want our choices to be a secret. I don't want to know who you've chosen until the rest of the school does," Edward said.

"Seems fair," I said, shrugging. "I hope we don't choose the same girl though." Emmett shrugged. "I don't think that that'll happen, your pick will be very different than mine."

"Why did you pick the girl though?" Edward asked me, raising his eyebrow.

"Because of _my_ rule," I said. "I want to have a fun vacation, not an orgy. So none of us is allowed to pick the ones we really want to. I can't pick Jasper, Edward can't pick Bella and Emmett can't pick Rosalie! That would make thing more fun, and less… lust-driven, I guess." I smirked at my brothers.

"What?!" Emmett's jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Nope, that's my rule. And you know I'll know it when you do choose her," I pointed out.

"Fine!"

And the rules were made. Now all we had to do was choose someone. And, if you'll excuse me, _fuck_, it was a hard thing to do!

--

We all went to our rooms after that. I knew who I didn't want to invite, but it was easier said than done to find someone who I would be able to talk to and have fun with. I didn't really dislike most of the girls at school, but there were few who I actually liked.

My thoughts drifted to who my brothers would choose. I hoped Emmett wouldn't think all too cliché and choose one of those arrogant cheerleading cows at school, like Jessica and Lauren. I did _not_ want to spend my summer with one of those people, even if their presence alone would be enough to stop our holiday from turning into an orgy. I doubted Emmett would see that quite the same way.

I didn't have a clue about who Edward would choose…I knew he and Jasper got along quite well, what with them having similar characters and all, but I feared he wouldn't choose him just because I had admitted I liked him. Even though I was the one who had been born first, he always acted as if he was my older brother, intent on keeping me safe from all things that could bring me harm – boys who used anything but their heads to think with being one of the most dangerous things out there for me.

They always acted as if I couldn't take care of myself, but growing up with those two taught me a lot. I knew how to handle annoying guys, since I'd spent my entire life around them. And if I could handle those two, I could handle anyone, something they ought to know by now.

Of course, whenever_ I_commented on their behaviour towards some horny girl whom they give far too much attention too, they blew me off, saying they could take care of themselves. Yeah, right. As if they actually managed to remember what they were doing when one of the school sluts pushed her boobs in their faces.

I had to admit, it was nice to see that neither of them actually took an interest in any of those girls, but that never stopped the rumours from being spread. I felt bad for my brothers – Edward especially – when I thought about all the nonsense that was being said about them. It was oddly funny how far off base some of them were.

The worst rumour out there about me was that I'd supposedly slept with Mike Newton. Now that was one rumour that wasn't funny in any way. It was simply disgusting. I wouldn't even want touch that boy with a stick, I ignored him to the best of my abilities, and yet people thought I'd slept with him? What was wrong with those people?! He always gave me these looks that were probably supposed to be sexy but they just made me want to throw up all over him. Although I fear he might not even dislike that…

Still…some of the things that were said about my brothers were even worse. Why was I thinking about them again? I should be thinking about my options!

Choosing would have been much easier if only I'd had some friends at school, but as it was there were only people I managed to get along with in school, none of whom I actually saw out of school – except by accident.

Since I really didn't want it to end up in an orgy, I couldn't choose Rosalie or Bella, so…who else did I actually like at school? Angela! I could invite Angela! She wouldn't flirt with either of my brothers, seeing as she was obviously into Ben. She'd be fun too, and I would be able to talk to her. And I knew Emmett wouldn't choose her.

I decided to drop by Edward's room to tell him I'd made my choice, and to see how he was getting along.

"Oh, Edwaaaaard! I know who I'm going to invite!"

He raised an eyebrow at me, not moving an inch from his position on the bed.

"And you are telling me this…why?"

"Just thought you'd like to know, that's all."

He smirked at me. "You and I both know that's not why you're here"

Damn it. Why did he always have to be right?

"Fine" I huffed. "I wanted to see if you'd chosen already" I pouted.

"I have, actually."

"And…"

"Remember my rule, Alice? Our choices have to be kept a secret until they become public knowledge at school. I'm the one who made that rule, I won't be the one to break it."

I pouted again.

"You know as well as I do that your pout doesn't work on me."

"Fine! Don't tell me! I'll find out some other way!"

"Yes, you will. At the same time as the rest of the school. Will you please leave me in peace? You know I won't tell you, not even if you decide to stand there and pout for the rest of the day."

Damn it! How did he know what I was going to do?! I huffed and went back to my room.

I knew I wouldn't get an answer out of Emmett even if I tried to bribe him with food, so I didn't even bother asking him. I probably didn't even want to know exactly who he chose, seeing as he would never consider choosing Jasper.

I sure hoped he would. I knew Edward liked Bella, but he would accept my choice too. I wasn't worried about that. And knowing Edward, I knew he might even choose someone I could get along with, but my biggest worry was my big brother.

Emmett rarely thought with his head, he would probably choose someone who was hot and sexy and whatever. Someone I wouldn't enjoy spending my time at the cabin with.

I hoped with all my heart it wasn't Lauren. I knew one thing for sure; if I would have to spend my summer with her, I wouldn't be around that much. She was one brainless bitch and I didn't get along with her at all.

I just wanted Emmett to be smart for once, and I truly hoped he wouldn't ruin my holiday.


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter Three**

_BPOV_

The next morning, when I arrived at school, the atmosphere had changed. It was tense and nervous – and I immediately knew what had happen between yesterday and now.

The invitations had been handed out.

_Well, I guess that means I'm not chosen._ I immediately laughed at myself for that, knowing there wasn't a chance in haven of me getting an invitation. The Elite were too good for me. I wasn't surprised at all. But what did surprise me was the disappointment I felt.

I tried to shake the feeling away. Of course, the opportunity to have a summer with Edward would have been great, but I was stupid for thinking even for a second that I had the chance of being chosen.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I entered the school, looking around for someone holding a blue envelope. I saw nothing, so maybe I was wrong after all. The people who got an invitation would probably be dashing around about it, telling everyone that they were chosen.

Nothing.

I saw Rose and Jasper entering the library, so I went after them.

"Jazz, Rose!" I called, and they turned around to wait for me. I caught up with them, and wrapped my arms around their shoulders.

"Is it just me, or are the invitations handed out today?" I asked them, trying to sound cheerful. I had no idea if I fooled them or not, but Jasper nodded and Rose just shrugged and smiled.

We went to our usual table in the back, and sat down. Jasper took a deep breath, making Rose and I turn to him. He shook his head, and grabbed something out of his bag. Wordlessly, he threw an item on the table. I gasped, and Rose squealed.

It was a blue envelope.

"You have been invited?! Oh my gosh, Jasper! I'm so excited! That's great! You're going to have so much fun!" Rose started to ramble about what he needed to do, and what he needed to avoid, while I just stared at him. He stared back, and I knew what he meant. I also knew the words that were coming next.

"I don't know if I'm going."

I nodded, but Rosalie didn't understand at all.

"What?! What do you mean, you don't know if you're going? Are you crazy?"

"No. Like I said only _yesterday_, Rose, I am too much like Bella. Though I'd try to have fun with them, I'd still feel like I don't belong with them."

"Jazz, you should go," I said. "I wasn't invited, and Rose wasn't either, right?" Rose shook her head. "So, we can entertain each other, and you can have fun with The Elite and whoever is going! Don't worry about us."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll go. But don't expect me not to feel guilty for not spending the summer with you as I planned."

We laughed at that, and the bell rang. We went to our classes, but the teachers soon found out that nobody was listening to them. Everybody wanted to know who were chosen. Rose and I knew of one person, but the other two remained a mystery.

Until lunch.

I decided to pay a visit to the bathroom and found one on the second floor that was completely empty. I always tried to find one without people in it as I felt uncomfortable peeing while there was someone else in the room. It was the same reason why I rarely went in a public place; I just couldn't pee while there was a chance of being interrupted.

I had just pulled my jeans up when the door opened. Immediately I unlocked the door, put the lid of the toilet down and sat on it, my feet resting against the door so nobody would see I was in here. It would have been ridiculous, but an hour later I couldn't say I regretted eavesdropping on Lauren and Jessica.

"Is anybody in here?" Lauren said. I heard footsteps, and held my breath.

"No, the doors are all unlocked," Jessica answered. I exhaled slowly, trying to make no sound at all.

"Good… I wasn't sure how to tell you this but…" I heard the sounds of someone moving stuff in their bag. It stopped, followed by a gasp.

I could barely hold mine, because I immediately realized I had found out the second chosen one. And I was proven right when seconds later, Jessica squealed.

"NO WAY?! You've been chosen?" Her voice went up two octaves, and I winced at the sound.

"Yeah… Just thought I should tell you first. I found the envelope on the dinner table this morning, so one of them – I don't know who chose me – must have left it in our mailbox. I don't know. But yeah," her voice turned triumphant, "I was."

"You've got to be kidding me! There's no way you they'd want you to go with them! You're such a bitch to Alice! None of them would choose you! I should have been invited!"

My eyes widened, and I had to suppress a giggle. Jessica's tone was jealous and angry, but she actually believed that she should have been chosen. I disagreed with both of them, none of those skanks should have been given an invitation. I already felt sorry for Jasper for having to put up with Lauren. I hoped for him that the last chosen person was a nice one. With Jasper having an invitation already, I knew it must be a girl too. The Cullens always went with three girls and three boys.

I had been lost in my thoughts, and lost a part of their conversation. Suddenly the bathroom was filled with screeches, and I heard slapping a few times. I heard bags drop to the floor, and something slid under my bathroom door. My eyes widened when I saw it was the blue envelope.

Suddenly the door banged. I gasped softly, and my foot slipped. I quickly put my foot up again, holding my breath anxiously.

"Ladies! Calm down! Miss Mallory, let go of Miss Stanley's hair or you'll have bigger problems. You will be expected at the dean's office right away, follow me. You know as well as I do that fighting on school grounds has severe consequences…"

The footsteps faded into silence, as did the voice of Mrs. Greenery. I was still frozen on the toilet, until the bell rang. Making a split second decision, I grabbed the envelope and ran outside, back to the library where Rose, Jasper and I had lunch. I arrived there, panting, while Rosalie and Jasper were looking at me worriedly. Then they saw the envelope in my hand. I saw Rosalie had one in her hand too, and she quickly put it in her bag, staring wide-eyed at me.

"Lauren – chosen – fight – Jess…" was all I could say, panting heavily, trying to calm my racing heart.

Then I heard a squeal behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was, and my eyes widened.

"Bella! You were chosen!"

I turned around with wide eyes – looking straight in the face of Alice Cullen. She looked very excited, almost jumping up and down.

"N-No, Lauren -" I started, but she cut me off.

"This summer is going to be great! Oh Bella, now I'm so happy that you're going and not some skanky bitch! Now I want to know who else was chosen!"

I looked at my friends helplessly. Rose and Jasper looked at each other, and both grabbed their envelopes from their bags, and dropped them on our table, and I dropped mine next to it.

Alice eyes grew wide, and she gulped.

"N-No. This can't be possible!"

And then she turned around, and left the room.

--

_APOV_

What? They were all invited? How could this happen? I know I didn't invite any of them! It's just not possible! I'm positive my invitation ended up with the right person! How did it end up with one of them? What did my brothers do? Convince Angela that she would miss her little brothers too much if she went with us so they could give her invite with someone else? But that would mean Edward broke his own rule!

No, that couldn't be it. Edward had always been far too hung up on rules, he wouldn't change now, especially not when he had invented the rule himself. So what did happen?

I needed to talk to my brothers, and fast.

I hadn't realized I was already at the Volvo until Emmett addressed me.

"Alice? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

_I might as well have._

"Actually, Emmett, I did see something. Or rather…three things. But I want to talk to you two about that at home."

My brothers exchanged a confused look until Edward shrugged and got in the car. Emmett followed suit, and so did I.

We didn't talk on the way to our house, but as soon as we got there, I demanded a sibling meeting.

"I need to talk to you about your invitations. Something seems to have gone wrong, and I'd like to know what."

"And what seems to have gone wrong exactly? I know for a fact my invite made it to the right person."

"So did mine," Emmett said immediately.

"Then please explain to me, dear brothers, how our invites managed to end up with the exact people that will make our vacation into more of an orgy than a relaxing vacation?"

Emmett looked confused, while Edward seemed to be taking the question as serious as I had meant it.

"What? I didn't invite any of them."

"Neither did I Emmett, that's why we're having this conversation."

It didn't escape my notice that Edward wasn't talking.

"Edward? You did invite one of them, didn't you? And since you were to invite a boy, I'd say you actually did invite Jasper?" It surprised me in a way, especially because he knew I liked him.

Edward just nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Did you have a problem with that? He and I have a lot in common. I was merely following your reasoning by inviting the only boy at school I get along with."

He had a point there. Jasper was a lot like Edward in a way. They were both more of the quiet type; it made sense for Edward to invite Jasper.

"Well…if Jasper is the only one who received an invitation from one of us, how did Rosalie and Bella get them?"

I really didn't get it. The entire school seemed to hope for an invitation, it's not as if anyone would leave it lying around anywhere, and I doubt anyone would steal it. I knew for sure Rosalie nor Bella would steal one, just to get invited. They weren't like that. It was one of the main reasons why I liked the three of them so much.

I knew it could be a great summer, our time at the cabin could be perfect… I liked Jasper a lot, and I knew he and Edward would get along. I really wanted my brothers to have a great time too… And I knew Bella liked Edward, she was an open book. I wasn't sure about Rosalie though, but knowing Emmett liked her, and knowing his ways of persuasion, she would probably give in after a while, even if she didn't like him. He would _make_ her like him.

Then there was Jasper and me. I liked Jasper a lot, but I had no idea about his feelings. Usually I knew these things, but Jasper was a very reserved person, I couldn't read him at all. I avoided being rejected by not talking to him at all, a method that worked. Sometimes I wondered how things could be, but those thoughts were just fantasy, not reality. Maybe my fantasies were coming true now.

"So, what are we going to do?" Emmett asked, shifting his feet.

"I don't know, Em, I don't know." I sighed, and closed my eyes.

"Well, we can sulk around about it, or we can accept what fate threw at us and enjoy the ride!" Edward said.

And so it began.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_BPOV_

When Alice left the library, we were all frozen for a second. I turned around to look at my friends, and we decided wordlessly that we were going to skip the rest of the day.

"My house?" Rose asked, and we both nodded. We ran through the school and drove to her house as quickly as we could, knowing we needed answers from each other.

We settled in her room, Rose on her bed, Jasper in her chair and me on the floor.

"How did you get an invitation?" I asked her when she sighed.

"Angela was invited – but she begged me to take hers. She didn't want to go with them at all, especially since she's so new and all, so she wanted me to go. She said she had seen Jasper's blue envelope in his bag, and she knew we would be comfortable with each other. So I accepted it, knowing I'd have time to think…" she trailed off, and sighed again. "I had no idea that only a few minutes after showing Jasper the envelope, Alice would find out. I didn't even know if I was going or not."

"And then you saw me with the envelope…" I said, nodding.

"Yeah! How did you get that one anyway?" Jasper asked, sitting up. His eyebrows were raised, his expression curious.

"I went to the girls' bathroom on the second floor, and suddenly Lauren and Jessica came in. I think Lauren showed her the envelope – and they started fighting. It slid under my door, and when they were caught fighting they left the bathroom, and I think they forgot about it. I grabbed it with the intention to return it, but… well you know what happened next."

"Wow. Are you going to return it?" Rosalie mused.

"Um… Are you?" I retorted.

"If you don't, I won't either. So it'll be your choice. I know what you said yesterday about not feeling comfortable and all… so it's up to you. I'll follow your decision, as it isn't really my envelope anyway. I wouldn't feel sad returning it to Angela."

I nodded and lay back on the soft rug.

"I have no fucking clue about what to do. None at all. I'll think about it, but don't get your hopes up. "

We were silent after that. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, it never was. We had these silences a lot, we were just comfortable enough with each other to think, not speaking out loud. At the point that the silence became unbearable, Jasper stood and put some music on. The soft notes of Kiss The Rain entered the room, and we all relaxed.

A few songs later, I knew Rosalie had fallen asleep. It was a secret that Rosalie liked classical music, especially piano, because it calmed her down. In this case, it had calmed her so much that she actually fell asleep. I had never seen that happen before, but I closed my own eyes and fell into a light sleep myself.

--

The next thing I knew I was taken from my sleep by a cell phone playing a particular song I knew very well.

_All around in my hometown  
They're tryin' to track me down  
They say they want to bring me in guilty  
For the killing of a deputy, for the life of a deputy  
But I say -_

I loved that song, and it was so fitting for my father, what with him being the town sheriff and all. I grabbed my phone, and answered it before it could wake Rose.

"Hello?" My voice was cracking, I was still half asleep.

"Where are you?" My father hardly ever greeted me when he called me. At first it annoyed me, but after a while I got used to it.

"Yeah, sorry dad, I fell asleep at Rosalie's. I'll be home in half an hour. I'm sorry dinner isn't ready yet," I offered.

"It's okay, I was just worried. Usually you're home at this time," he answered.

"Okay. I'll see you in a few."

"Alright. Bye Bells." We hang up, and I sat up, running a hand through my messy hair.

Rosalie was still sleeping, so I just left her a note. I knew how grumpy she could get when someone woke her up. Jasper was nowhere to be seen, I noticed as I walked out of the house.

As I got home, I noticed Charlie was sitting on the couch watching a game, as usual.

I didn't feel like spending a lot of time cooking, so I decided to just stick with some grilled cheese for dinner, as I always did when I wanted to make a fast and simple meal.

As soon as we'd finished eating it, I told Charlie I was going to go up to my room to do some homework, knowing full well that I wouldn't get anything done today, not with the invitation-drama going on.

I plopped down on my bed after managing to survive the stairs and closed my eyes. I needed to decide whether I wanted to go to the cabin or not.

Jasper would probably enjoy himself more with Rose and me there, it would mean extra time with Edward, and I didn't want to be the cause for Rose not going, but I still didn't feel like I would belong with them. Not to mention I still didn't think I'd be comfortable, even if Jasper and Rosalie were with me.

Sure, Alice had seemed excited when she saw me with the envelope, but then again, she didn't seem to have anything against me, but we weren't friends or anything. Her mood had changed gradually when she saw all three of us had an envelope. That would probably mean she invited either Angela or Lauren, probably Angela since she didn't seem to like Lauren.

Would they even allow us three to go? And if they did, what would the atmosphere be like, since we obviously weren't supposed to be the ones going?

But then again…maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Jasper and Rosalie would be there with me, I'd have my friends with me, people I could trust and did feel comfortable with. And Edward would be there… I'd be able to see him for a six full weeks straight. Maybe I'd get to know him, and maybe, if I found out he wasn't as nice as I always pictured him to be, I'd be able to get over him and just think of him as a friend.

I knew the chances of that were slim to none, but I still wanted to try.

So, I decided I would go if the Cullens didn't do or say anything to suggest they didn't want me there. I hoped they wouldn't, because now I really wanted to go. The thoughts of Edward made me feel tingly in all the right places.

I figured I would probably change my mind again if I kept thinking about it, so I called Rosalie and asked her to come over. It was only ten minutes later when I heard the doorbell and ran downstairs to open the door, knowing Charlie would be too engrossed in the game to even hear it.

"Hi Rose!" I said as I let her in and closed the door behind her. "Thanks for coming."

"You're welcome. I suppose you've been thinking about the invitation and what to do with it?"

Typically Rose. Straight to the point.

"Yeah, I have." I hesitated. "Let's go to my room, okay?"

"Sure, lead the way."

When we entered my room, we both got settled on my bed.

"Sooo… Have you decided anything yet?" Rose asked.

She had an innocent expression on her face, but I could see the curiosity burning beneath the surface. Since I didn't want to risk changing my mind again, I decided to not let her wait any longer.

"Yeah… I've decided to go."

A brilliant smile lit up her face. "That's great Bella!"

"Yeah… I figured it couldn't be too bad if you and Jasper were there too."

"Don't worry so much. We'll have fun, I know we will!"

I smiled at her, but it didn't last long as I heard the doorbell ring.

"Who could that be?" Rosalie asked.

"I have no idea."

I had just stood up from the bed when the doorbell rang again. I groaned. Whoever it was didn't have much patience. I hadn't made it halfway down the stairs when I heard my dad open the door.

"Hello. Um… who are you?"

"Oh!" I heard a girl laugh. "I'm Alice Cullen!" Alice? What was Alice doing here? I didn't hear my dad say anything else as I made my way towards the door.

"Alice? What are you doing here?"

My dad turned and looked at me questionably. I just shook my head at him, at which he went back towards the couch.

"I wanted to talk to you, actually."

"Oh. Uhm… well, come on in, we'll go to my room, Rose's here too?"

I didn't know why I said that as if it were a question, but Alice's presence in my house both surprised and confused me.

After closing the door, I lead Alice towards my room. As Rosalie saw me entering the room, she started to ask who it was, but when she saw who it was, her mouth fell open – quite surprising, considering this was ever-confident Rosalie.

Alice didn't seem to notice it, and if she did, she did a damn good job of hiding it. "Hi Rose!"

Rose didn't answer, she just kept staring at Alice as she watched her make her way towards my desk and sit down in my chair. "Oh, you don't mind, do you?"

I shook my head and made my way towards my bed. As I sat down, Rosalie seemed to recover.

"If you don't mind me asking, Alice… what are you doing here? And how did you even know where Bella lived?"

Alice giggled. "Doesn't everyone know where the Chief lives? And I wanted to talk to you about the invitations."

She smiled at us, and I was glad to see her mood didn't deteriorate as it did last time she talked about the invites.

"Well, I wanted to ask you two how you got your invitations, actually?"

Rose spoke up first. "Angela didn't feel like she would fit in with you, and she didn't want to leave her brothers that long, so she gave it to me."

Alice nodded, processing the information, before she looked at me.

"Lauren and Jessica had a fight about Lauren's invitation in the bathroom, while I was in there. They didn't know I was there, but somewhere during the fight, the envelope slid under the door, and then Mrs. Greenery came and took them to the dean's office."

"I see… Figures Lauren would manage to lose it." Alice rolled her eyes. It was silent for a moment. She looked at us intently, seeming to search for something in our expressions. I think she didn't find it, as she took a deep breath, exhaled and spoke.

"This was not how it was planned. Jasper and you two weren't allowed to be chosen. Somehow you all ended up having the cards anyway. I don't mind, I would love to have you with us. You _are_ coming with us, aren't you?"

"What? We weren't allowed to be chosen? Why?" I couldn't help but feel slightly offended.

"Um, no reason. Anyhow-"

"But Jasper was chosen, so one of you didn't stick to his or her rules," Rosalie said with an eyebrow raised. I looked at her, but she had her gaze fixed on Alice. Suddenly the air around us changed, becoming tense for a moment. I held my breath, but Alice sighed, and relaxed.

"I know. We already talked about that, and _technically_, it was within the rules. But I'd rather not talk about that. I rather talk about fun stuff… Such as shopping! I take it you both need some summer clothes?"

Rose and I looked at each other, and then both nodded.

"Good. I haven't bought anything new in a while, so I'd love to take you to Seattle with me, if that's alright with you?" She smiled at us, happiness shining in her eyes.

"Sure. It's been a while since I've shopped too, so I'd love to." Rosalie smiled back, making Alice grin.

"And you, Bella?" Alice turned to me.

"Well, I need to have some new summer clothes, so I'll go with you. But I can promise you that I won't like it. I am not into shopping at all, so be warned." I smiled weakly at her, already afraid.

"Oh." Alice pouted.

"Trust me Alice, shopping with her is no fun, she'll only do it when necessary…" Rose trailed off, and I rolled my eyes.

"I just don't see the fun in it. The only shopping I like is for books, and-"

"Books?" Alice looked up, smiling.

"Yes, or music. Those are the only things I like to go shopping for."

"Hmm. Okay," Alice said, a mischievous grin on her face. "Well, I have to go now. Do you mind if we go there tomorrow? We have a family weekend this weekend, so none of us is allowed to go out, and I really want to get to shopping as soon as possible."

"Sure," Rosalie and I said at once. We smiled, and Alice left after a quick goodbye.

Rose left soon after. I called Jasper to tell him about Alice's visit. He said he was happy that Rose and I would be going too, he'd feel less alone there. After we hung up, I ran things over and over in my head.

I was going to spend weeks and weeks with Edward together. Alice turned out to be a real sweet girl, and Rose, Jasper and I were going together.

I imagined swimming with them, and my mind immediately went to Edward half naked in the sun, his chest still wet from the lake… Or better, naked! Before my thoughts could go any further into the gutter, I cut myself off and closed my eyes. I drifted to sleep with only one thought running through my head before I went to dreamland.

Maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
